When seen from the street, the home presented an air of dignity and stature. And as I cautiously made my way to the front door, a heaviness engulfed me like a blanket the moment I crossed the threshold. It seemed as though the stillness was emanating from inside the stone walls themselves. And I could feel the stares of the invisible guards devouring my flesh from the inside out. The vast area was hauntingly still, and so were all of its inhabitants, both human and otherwise. It was close to midday, yet there was not a single person to be seen anywhere around.

As I reached the front door of my empty house, a sense of unease washed over me. What if my dad was watching me right now through the cameras. I willed my head to not look at at the places the cameras were situated. He would have one glance at my face and instantaneously know what I had been up to. Frolicking with the enemy was one thing my father had a knack of fishing out. I felt my palms start to sweat and my heart race in my chest as I pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The house was quiet and still, just like when I left it. But as I tiptoed through the living room towards the stairs, every creak of the floorboards felt like a loud bang in the silent house. I held my breath as I climbed the stairs, hoping to make it to my room undetected.

But as I reached the top of the staircase, I heard a noise coming from my one end of the hallway. My heart skipped a beat as I froze, wondering if my father was the one that would appear around the corner. Or maybe the sound was a figment of my imagination. I heard the sound again, a rustling noise, and I realized with a sinking feeling that someone was indeed about to round the corner of the hallway.

I felt a sense of panic wash over me as I stood frozen on the landing. What would he say if he found out I had been out all day? What would he do if he knew I had spent the night with Nate?

My eyes were stuck to the side.

The sound of their approaching feet became louder, and it wasn't long until they turned the corner. When Lorna entered my field of view, I felt a wave of relief wash over me.

"You scared the shit out of me." I whispered to her, glancing around just to make sure if no one else was around.

Lorna answered. Albeit with her eyes. And all I got was a blank gaze.

"Why is everything so quiet?" I asked her, taking a step towards her. She stopped walking and stood a few metres away from me.

Her lips slightly parted but instantly closed again. Without one single word, from someone who essentially took a role of my mother, she walked past me with her head lowered.

What happened? My gut clenched up with fear.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down, and slowly started to make my way towards my room. Every creak of the floorboards felt like a warning, every rustle of my clothes felt like a shout in the silent house.

As I reached my door, I turned the handle as quietly as I could and slipped inside, closing the door behind me. I sank onto my bed, feeling a sense of relief wash over me as I realized I had made it to my room undetected by my father

But the feeling was short-lived. As I sat there, my heart racing, I couldn't shake the feeling of fear that had settled in my stomach. What if my dad found out? What would happen then?

The door flew open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang that made me jump. I turned to see my father storming into the room, his face twisted in a scowl of anger.

His eyes bore into mine, and I could feel his rage radiating off of him in waves. He didn't say a word, but his presence alone was enough to make me feel small and vulnerable.

My father had always been strict, but I had never seen him like this before. His jaw was clenched so tightly that I could see the muscles bulging in his neck, and his hands were balled up into fists so tight that his knuckles were turning white.

For a long moment, he just stood there, staring at me with an intensity that made my skin crawl. I wanted to speak, to tell him that everything was okay, that there was no need to be angry, but the words wouldn't come.

Finally, he broke the silence, his voice low and menacing. "So, you were with that boy," he said, his tone dripping with contempt.

I nodded slowly, feeling a knot forming in the pit of my stomach. I knew what was coming next, and I didn't want to face it.

"I can't believe you would do this," he continued, his voice rising in anger. "After everything we've done for you, after all the sacrifices we've made, you go and betray us like this?"

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I could feel my throat tightening with emotion. It wasn't fair. I had never asked for any of this, never asked to be born into a family that didn't understand me. But my father didn't care about that. To him, I was just another source of disappointment, another reminder of all the things that had gone wrong in his life.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

"Sorry?" he sneered. I saw the shadow cross his face, replacing the cold father I knew to the monster he has shown everyone behind closed doors. There was no warning for what happened next.

His hand snaked out and wrapped around my throat. His fingers dug into my sink as all air slowly left my body. I clawed at his fingers, struggling to breathe as black dots appeared in the corners of my vision.

He threw me to the side, and I made impact with the side of my desk, stumbling down with half the contents. I heaved in a breath, trying to turn out the burning in my lungs. He gave me no other moment to do this as he grabbed my by the hair and dragged me out across my room.

I yelled despite the pain in my throat and thrashed about, cutting, and scraping my legs in the process. Two of his other guys stood nearby and observed what was going on.

The violent strikes that my father delivered to my body were delivered without any restraint on his part. My ribs, my head, and my chest are all hurting. Just one strike after another. The agony was excruciating, and then it turned into a blinding anguish. The agony was so intense that it seemed to have a life of its own, intensifying with each stroke that my father delivered to me.

It was only a smaller female body that thew herself on me, blocking out the kick that was meant for my ribs.

"You do not get to do this," Lorna shouted. "Not to her. Ever." She screamed but was silenced when one of my father's guarded grabbed her by the arm and delivered a fist to her stomach. After that, she stopped making noise. Lorna doubled over and instantly choked out blood.

Lorna," I sobbed, desperately attempting to get my hands on her as I was lying on the ground in a pitiful state.

"This should teach you to stay in your bounds," my father seethed, his spit landing on my face before he dropped his heavy boot foot on my leg. "I will happily break these."

I could literally feel my body failing me at that point. My brain could no longer process the level of agony I was in because it had reached that degree. However, he would not permit it for me.

My father grasped one side of my face with the other hand and insisted that I look at him. "How do you think I kept your mum under control? I guess you are just like her."

The back of his hand connected to my cheek.

For once in my life, I wanted him to kill me. I wanted this to end. I couldn't take it anymore.

"You murdered her." I screamed at him, tormented at everything that this world has dealt me with. I want my mum. I want to be where she is. I want to be where he cannot reach me.

"She deserved every singly miserable thing that has happened to her." My father spat back. "You will learn from her mistakes, and you will learn from this,"

I should have known that he was not done. He dug inside his blazer and pulled out a pocketknife.

I knew what he was going to do now.

I heard it countless of times before.

With no regard of the pain, I scrambled backwards, wincing, and sobbing as he etched closer. "No no no no no no," I cried out to him. He would not stop.

Not until he was right in front of me.

Not until the cold blade of the knife dug into my skin below my chin.

Not until he drew blood from his own blood.